Diffusion of multiple species with excluded-volume effects

Stochastic models of diffusion with excluded-volume effects are used to model many biological and physical systems at a discrete level. The average properties of the population may be described by a continuum model based on partial differential equations. In this paper we consider multiple interacting subpopulations/species and study how the inter-species competition emerges at the population level. Each individual is described as a finite-size hard core interacting particle undergoing Brownian motion. The link between the discrete stochastic equations of motion and the continuum model is considered systematically using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The system for two species leads to a nonlinear cross-diffusion system for each subpopulation, which captures the enhancement of the effective diffusion rate due to excluded-volume interactions between particles of the same species, and the diminishment due to particles of the other species. This model can explain two alternative notions of the diffusion coefficient that are often confounded, namely collective diffusion and self-diffusion. Simulations of the discrete system show good agreement with the analytic results

Shortcuts to a functional adipose tissue: the role of small non-coding Rnas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes are a major public health issue worldwide. These diseases are often linked to a dysfunctional adipose tissue. Fat is a large, heterogenic, pleiotropic and rather complex tissue. It is found in virtually all cavities of the human body, shows unique plasticity among tissues, and harbors many cell types in addition to its main functional unit – the adipocyte. Adipose tissue function varies depending on the localization of the fat depot, the cell composition of the tissue and the energy status of the organism. While the white adipose tissue (WAT) serves as the main site for triglyceride storage and acts as an important endocrine organ, the brown adipose tissue (BAT) is responsible for thermogenesis. Beige adipocytes can also appear in WAT depots to sustain heat production upon certain conditions, and it is becoming clear that adipose tissue depots can switch phenotypes depending on cell autonomous and non-autonomous stimuli. To maintain such degree of plasticity and respond adequately to changes in the energy balance, three basic processes need to be properly functioning in the adipose tissue: i) adipogenesis and adipocyte turnover, ii) metabolism, and iii) signaling. Here we review the fundamental role of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) in these processes, with focus on microRNAs, and demonstrate their importance in adipose tissue function and whole body metabolic control in mammals. © 2017 The AuthorsMetabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes are a major public health issue worldwide. These diseases are often linked to a dysfunctional adipose tissue. Fat is a large, heterogenic, pleiotropic and rather complex tissue. It is found in virtually all cavit1282102FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNQP - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)2015/01316-72015/03292-8444424/2014-8We thank Elzira E. Saviani for the technical support and Silas Pintofor assisting with bioinformatic analysis. This work was supported byGrants of the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo(FAPESP) (2015/01316-7 and 2015/03292-8), Conselho

Geologia dos granitos peraluminosos do município de Itapema, SC

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas. Departamento de Geologia. Geologia.Os granitos perlauminosos (também chamados de leucogranitos) que ocorrem na região costeira de Itapema são constituídos por injeções tabulares de espessura variando entre 10 e 50cm e orientação SW-NE, são concordantes a sub-concordantes com relação a foliação regional S2 dos gnaises cálcio- silicáticos encanixantes, pertencentes ao Complexo Metamórfico Brusque. Este complexo é caracterizado como um espesso pacote de rochas metassedimentares clásticas, dominado por filitos e xistos micáceos intercalados com semipelitos, quartzitos, mármores e rochas calci-silicáticas, possui ocorrências restritas de rochas metavulcânicas de composição máfica a ultramáfica, além das referidas rochas graníticas intrusivas. Esses granitóides que foram injetados a 545 ± 55Ma (datação de Monazita por Tickyj et al., 2004), são subhorinzontais e horizontais em relação às rochas encaixantes e estão localizados nas praias de Ponta Grossa, Ponta da Ilhota e Meia Praia, onde foram coletadas amostras para análise em duas escalas, macro e microscópica. As descrições foram feitas com base em estimativa de proporção mineral e na análise de texturas, também foram identificados minerais de alteração hidrotermal (com seritização e/ou cloritização) e de alteração intempérica (com oxidação e/ou argilização). As texturas foram classificadas de acordo com a relação entre os grãos, homogeneidade granulométrica e granulometria. A nomenclatura seguiu as orientações da IUGS e BSG, de modo que as injeções foram classificadas como: Sienogranito equigranular fino a médio com turmalina-muscovita; Muscovita monzogranito inequigranular fino a grosso com turmalina; Sienogranito-pegmatítico médio a muito grosso com biotita-turmalina-apatita-epidoto; Alcalifeldspato-granito inequigranular fino a grosso com turmalina-muscovita; Sienogranito equigranular fino a médio com biotita; Biotita sienogranito equigranular fino a médio; Muscovita- apatita monzonito inequigranular fino a grosso com epidoto; Granodiorito inequigranular fino a grosso com turmalina-muscovita; Monzogranito-pegmatítico médio a muito grosso com muscovita- epidoto-biotita-apatita; Muscovita granodiorito equigranular fino a médio com granada.Perlauminous granites (also called leucogranites) that occur in the coastal region of Itapema consist of tabular injections of thickness ranging from 10 to 50cm and SW-NE orientation, are concordant to sub-concordant with the regional foliation S2 of calcium-gneisses silicate compounds belonging to the Brusque Metamorphic Complex. This complex is characterized as a thick package of clastic metasedimentary rocks, dominated by phyllites and micaceous shales interspersed with semipelites, quartzites, marbles and calci-silicate rocks. These granitoids were injected at 545 ± 55Ma (dating from Monazita by Tickyj et al., 2004), they are subhorinzontal and horizontal to the embedded rocks and they occur in the north coast of Itapema, at the beaches: Ponta Grossa, Ponta da Ilhota and Meia Praia, where samples were collected for analysis in thin and hand samples. Descriptions of thin sections were made based on mineral proportion estimation and texture analysis, weathering (with oxidation and/or clayization) and hydrothermal (with seritization and/or chloritization) minerals were also identified. The textures were classified according to the relationship between grains, particle size homogeneity and grain size. The nomenclature followed the IUGS and BSG guidelines, thus, the samples were classified as: thin to medium equigranular syenogranite with tourmaline-muscovite; Thin to coarse unequigranular muscovite monzogranite with tourmaline; Medium to very thick syngogranite- pegmatite with biotite-tourmaline-apatite-epidote; Fine to coarse unequigranular alkalifeldspar- granite with tourmaline muscovite; Fine to medium equigranular syenogranite with biotite; Fine to medium equigranular biotite syenogranite; Thin to thick unequigranular muscovite-apatite monzonite with epidote; Fine to coarse unequigranular granodiorite with tourmaline-muscovite; Medium to very thick monzogranite-pegmatite with muscovite-epidote-biotite-apatite); Fine to medium equigranular muscovite granodiorite with grenade

"America First": Pensando enquadramentos discursivos da segurança ontológica na era Trump

A pesquisa visa conduzir uma exploração acerca do discurso do então presidente estadunidense Donald Trump durante o primeiro ano de seu mandato, entendendo-o enquanto responsável por aprofundar inseguranças ontológicas através de uma narrativa focada em crises e ameaças interna e externamente dadas à coesão e identidade coletiva daquilo que Trump e seus apoiadores entendiam como "América'', gerando um processo de securitização. Para tal, proponho o uso conjunto das teorias de securitização e de segurança ontológica, com enfoque em dois discursos emblemáticos da era Trump, onde são definidas algumas das principais diretrizes de sua administração em relação ao que ela considerava como as questões mais urgentes daquele momento, com enfoque para o "problema" da migração. Ao lidar com temas como a imigração ilegal, argumenta-se que Trump instrumentaliza a noção de (in)segurança ontológica de seus eleitores através de caracterizações e denúncias reiteradas de imigrantes enquanto ameaças à suposta ou almejada coesão interna da nação estadunidense. Devido ao seu apelo direto e frequentemente emotivo à ideia de uma identidade nacional primordial norte-americana, o imaginário de segurança enunciado por Trump em seus discursos requer necessariamente uma abordagem teórica que contemple a segurança ontológica e, consequentemente, o valor simbólico e afetivo de reivindicações políticas de extrema-direita na contemporaneidade, cuja notável adesão requer exploração mais aprofundada

Pointwise estimates for the Bergman kernel of the weighted Fock space

We prove upper pointwise estimates for the Bergman kernel of the weighted Fock space of entire functions in $L^2(e^{-2\phi})$ where $\phi$ is a subharmonic function with $\Delta \phi$ a doubling measure. We derive estimates for the canonical solution operator to the inhomogeneous Cauchy-Riemann equation and we characterize the compactness of this operator in terms of $\Delta \phi$

The association of maternal folic acid supplementation and prenatal folate and vitamin B12 concentrations with child dental development

OBJECTIVE: Low folic acid, folate and vitamin B12 might affect tooth formation and mineralization. The conversion of folic acid into folate is catalysed by the methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) enzyme which is encoded by the MTHFR gene. Among 3728 mothers and their 10‐year‐old children from the Generation R Study, we investigated associations of maternal folic acid supplementation and prenatal folate and vitamin B12 concentrations with child dental development. Secondly, we checked the modifying effect of MTHFR‐C677T polymorphism. METHODS: Information on folic acid supplementation was obtained by questionnaires. Concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 were measured from venous samples taken in early pregnancy. Developmental stages of teeth were defined by the Demirjian method at the age‐10 assessment. In addition, dental age of the children was calculated using the Dutch standard. GLM and multivariate linear regression models were built to study the associations. RESULTS: Folic acid supplementation started when pregnancy was known (β = −0.09; 95% CI: −0.17, −0.01) and folic acid supplementation started prior to known pregnancy (β = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.20, −0.04) were both associated with decelerated dental development by 1‐2 months lower dental age of 10‐year‐old children. Folate (β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.05, 0.02) and vitamin B12 (β = 0.03, 95% CI: −0.00, 0.06) were not associated with dental age. MTHFR‐C677T did not modify the associations. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal folic acid supplementation delays dental development of children by 1‐2 months dental age, whereas maternal folate and vitamin B12 concentrations in early pregnancy do not affect the timing of child dental development

Moeda, instabilidade financeira e hierarquia no sistema internacional

Este artigo analisa o papel da moeda na instabilidade financeira e na hierarquização dos países no sistema internacional pós-Bretton Woods e como os conflitos monetários se aprofundam após a crise de 2008. Nesse sentido, indica-se como a financeirização da economia e a guerra monetária interferem na gestão das políticas monetárias domésticas e restringem as possibilidades de desenvolvimento, sobretudo as dos países periféricos

The role of roadsides in conserving Cerrado plant diversity

Abstract The structure of Cerrado vegetation (sensu stricto) along roadsides was compared with that of protected areas (reserves). The superior stratum of reserves had 2.7 times more individuals and 1.4 times more species than on roadsides, while in the intermediate stratum there were 1.7 times more individuals and 25 % more species in reserves. Additionally, roadsides had a lower prevalence of tree species with thin bark and from forest physiognomies. In the intermediate stratum of roadsides there was a lower proportion of forest species, and also fewer species dispersed by animals. These differences occur, possibly because the vegetation of their edges is cleared during the construction of the roads and part of the soil is taken as landfill. Later, they suffer from a higher fire frequency and high coverage of exotic grasses (80 % average). Moreover, it is likely that the absence of some dispersers on roadsides may affect the recruitment of young plants. Despite these differences, the roadsides are able to maintain at least 70 % of tree species and 72 % of shrub species found in reserves. These results show that roadside vegetation can contribute 123 Biodivers Conserv (2014) 23:3035-3050 DOI 10.1007 to the conservation of the flora of Cerrado. This is particularly important considering that over 60 % of the original area of this ecosystem has been destroyed and that less than 4 % is protected. With 32,012 km of roads in the Cerrado alone, the roadside vegetation may represent a cumulative area of 96,000 of hectares, an area larger than many of the Cerrado's national parks